Office of Student Services Update - October 2025

On Behalf of Kira Tippins, Vice President of Student Services

Happy November!

October came and went so quickly. I loved seeing everyone dressed up last week and participating in events. This is my favorite time of year, and I usually go overboard on all things seasonal, but between learning how to ride the grief train, school, and everything else going on, I just didn’t accomplish any of the fun October things I wanted to. I did attend our first CCC Health Fair and was so impressed with the turnout. Lilli Goishi-Bessey and Debbie Vasquez did a fabulous job! Some other highlights included attending our Transfer Day Festival, the CCC President’s Business Industry & Community Advisory meeting, the CUSD Superintendent’s Breakfast, ICE notification process training, a Credit for Prior Learning Coordinator meeting, a couple of Competency Based Education workshops, the Kids Clothing Swap, the ISE Diamond Learning Center groundbreaking ceremony, New Faculty Institute, the Juntos Podemos Celebration, and the Focus Forward Magazine Launch featuring our very own Lily Drinnon. I also had several meetings with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office regarding some of our categorical programs and potential changes in statewide allocation formulas.

Below are highlights from several of our Student Services areas and information on upcoming events in November that we invite everyone to participate in.

Basic Needs & Resources

Crush Pantry: What CalFresh Cuts Could Mean for Students

Throughout the Fall 2025 semester, student use of the pantry has remained high:

Fall 2025 Crush Pantry Visits

Month	Unduplicated Visits	Total Check-ins (Student Contacts)
August	1,183	3,452q
September	1,222	4,435
October	1,211	4,917

These numbers reflect not just statistics but real students who are balancing classes, jobs, and families while facing the uncertainty of food insecurity. This shows a steady increase in total check-ins throughout the semester, rising by over 40% from August to October, demonstrating that students are returning for support multiple times each month.

This surge aligns with the timing of the anticipated CalFresh benefit delay, suggesting that students have already turned to the Crush Pantry for support during this period.

Our Crush Pantry expects increased demand in the coming weeks, and we need your help to ensure that no one goes hungry.

How You Can Help:

• Donate nonperishable food items to the Crush Pantry through our Amazon Wishlist such as rice, pasta, canned goods, nut butter, cereal, or snacks.
• Donate nonperishable food or hygiene items directly to the Crush Pantry (AC2-173) or Basic Needs Center (AC2- 273) Monday-Thursday between 9am-4pm or Friday between 9am-12pm. If you would like our team to pick up the items from your office, please email Bonita Gomez at bonita.gomez@cloviscollege.edu.
• Make a donation (tax-deductible) to the Crush Pantry Fund or a payroll deduction through the Crush Pantry website.
• Spread the word to students who may need support or want to get involved.

Together, we can make sure no student goes hungry and every student feels supported especially when times get tough.

Parent Success Initiative Clothing Swap Draws Big Crowd, Builds Community

Clovis Community College’s fall Kids Clothing Swap welcomed 80 students and family members—nearly four times as many as the spring event. With 89 total attendees, including staff and faculty, the event provided free children’s clothing, diapers, and helpful resources in a warm, supportive space.

Hosted in partnership with Basic Needs and Retention Services, the Crush Clothing Closet, and the Child Development Center (CDC), the event featured giveaways donated by the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and Syctron Free Play Arena. Community partners like Child Services Network (CSN) also connected families with local support services.

As part of the college’s Parent Success Initiative, the event continues to create spaces of support and belonging. Remaining items were added to the children’s section of the Crush Clothing Closet to ensure ongoing access.

A heartfelt shoutout to Student Success Coach Akyia Ervin and Career Center Counselor Madison Asberry for their leadership in organizing this event. Their dedication and commitment to creating valuable opportunities for our student parents truly make a difference!

Save the date! The next Clothing Swap is set for Friday, May 1, 2026.

CalFresh Outreach Week

In late October, the Basic Needs & Retention Services team hosted CalFresh Outreach Week (October 27–30) to help students learn about and apply for CalFresh benefits while enjoying free food and community connection.

Monday: We kicked off the week with Grab & Go Breakfast + CalFresh Pre-Screening in front of the Bookstore — reaching 126 students who stopped by for breakfast and to learn about CalFresh eligibility.

Tuesday: Our Bagels & Benefits drop-in welcomed 72 students, providing free bagels and one-on-one help with CalFresh applications.

Wednesday: Burritos & Benefits drew 45 students who enjoyed a meal while learning how to access food assistance.

Thursday: The week wrapped up with our “Scare Away Hunger” Pop-Up Pantry at the Halloween Bash.
Across the week, over 240 students connected with our team, accessed helpful resources, and took steps toward improving their food security.

Pop-Up Student Success Coaching at the Farmers Market: “Harvest Your Goals”

During our recent Pop-Up Coaching session at the Farmers Market, students participated in a seasonal-themed activity called "Harvest Your Goals," where they reflected on and wrote down short-term goals on paper leaves. This symbolic exercise encouraged students to identify and "plant" meaningful intentions that contribute to their academic and personal growth.

The purpose of Pop-Up Coaching is to meet students where they are—literally and figuratively—by providing on-the-spot support in informal campus spaces. These interactions build rapport, raise awareness of student success coaching services, and promote help-seeking behaviors in a low-barrier, engaging way.

We look forward to connecting with more students at the next Farmers Market on November 20!

Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week

In November we are looking forward to another week's worth of activities for our Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 17 through November 21.

This is a nationwide effort to bring attention to food and housing insecurity among college students and our community. Throughout the week, the Basic Needs & Retention Services team will host events and activities that raise awareness, share resources, and highlight ways to support one another. Together, we can make a difference and ensure every student has access to the essentials they need to thrive.

Stay tuned for event details coming soon!

Student Activities

As we enter November, we are excited to celebrate gratitude, connection, and community! Join us Tuesday, November 4 at 11:00 AM in AC1-150 for a special talk with Dr. Andrew Jolivette, who will share insights on First-Generation and Native American Heritage. We will also be hosting a Resource Fair open to all students and staff to come and explore the many campus programs and services available. As we head into this season of thankfulness, Student Activities extends our deepest gratitude to our students, staff, and campus partners for making our community so vibrant and welcoming.

Counseling Updates

DSP&S

DSP&S Counselors have been actively visiting CUSD to connect with high school students and introduce them to the support available through college disability services. During these visits, Counselors guide students through the DSP&S application process and answer questions about accommodations and resources. So far this year, they have met with an impressive 152 students, helping pave the way for a smooth transition to college!

EOPS, CARE, NextUp, & CalWORKs

The EOPS Application will be opening on November 17 for Spring 2026.

Transfer Services

We had a successful Transfer Day Festival with over 30 representatives on campus from CSUs, UCs, private institutions, and clubs participating in the event. Application season is here! The initial application filing period for the CSUs and UCs is October 1 through December 1. There have been several application workshops throughout October. There will be several application workshops during November, and several Counselors will be available on December 1 in AC2-276 from 10am-4pm to assist students on the last day to apply. It’s highly probable there will be institutions that extend their deadline.

The UC Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) filing period was the month of September, and 146 students submitted a TAG! That is the most we have ever had submit a TAG. The breakdown is as follows: UC Davis – 37, UC Irvine – 59, UC Merced – 9, UC Riverside – 9, UC Santa Barbara – 21, and UC Santa Cruz – 11.

Veterans Resource Center (VRC)

We will be honoring our Veterans during Veterans Week beginning on November 10 through November 13. Our event lineup includes:

Monday, November 10: Veterans Resource Fair, 12:00-2:00pm, between AC1 and AC2 – Activities include vendors, food, games, and presentation of challenge coins. This event is open to all students, staff, and community members!

Wednesday, November 12: Veteran True Colors, 3:00-5:00pm, AC2-176 (The Veterans Resource Center) – Presented by CCC Career Resource Center, Veterans will have the opportunity to discover their true colors to help identify the major or career path that is right for them!

Thursday, November 13: Veteran Student Panel, 9:30-10:30am, AC1-150 – This event is to give insight into the experiences and perspectives of our military/Veteran student population.

Honoring our Veterans: Please take a moment to view our lawn signs that are on display throughout campus honoring our student Veterans with their photos and quotes.

Health and Wellness Services

Crushin’ It Health Fair (October 1): We had a successful 1st Health Fair to support the health and wellness of our campus community, and we are looking forward to our next health fair!

Sock Tree Donations: Sock donations will be accepted in Health Services until November 13. All socks will be displayed on a Christmas tree in the Crush Pantry and gifted to students visiting the pantry for the holidays.

Health Services Association of California Community Colleges (HSACCC) Region V Meeting (November 5): CCC Health Services will be hosting a meeting for health services staff from Central Valley community colleges. Guest speakers from various health entities will be presenting.

International Men’s Day (November 19): To support the health and wellness of our male students, Health Services will be collaborating with Paul Mitchell School’s Barbering Program to provide free haircuts to our male students from 12:00-6:00pm in Health Services. Students will need to pre-register in the Health Services Office. Other health and wellness supportive events are being planned for that day as well.

Title IX

Title IX highlighted Domestic Violence Awareness in October, and we hope everyone was able to grab a purple ribbon, bracelet, or pin to support the cause. We also had several speakers this month from our Fresno Police Department-Domestic Violence Unit and the Fresno County Victim Witness Advocates, but our highlighted speaker was Tina Rodriquez from Beloved Survivors, who is the Executive Director as well as a survivor. She gave an amazing presentation, which went beyond sharing experiences of domestic violence cases and how to protect yourself from domestic violence, to sharing studies that she was a part of and providing information regarding these studies. These studies were in collaboration with Fresno State and San Francisco State, which included studying 53 inmates, their behaviors, and why they commit these assaults on their victims. It was truly a great presentation.

As we wrap up Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we encourage everyone to sign up for Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) training taking place at the end of the semester. This is a women’s self-defense training, offered in collaboration with Title IX and our campus PD. Our very own SCCCD Officers, Andrew Poundstone, Kallee Olivas and Alexandria Medina, are the trainers, and we cannot emphasize enough how great the training is. Even if you have already taken the training, you can participate again. This is open to students, faculty, and classified professionals. Students must be registered CCC students. The training will be from December 15 – 18, 2025, 1-4:00pm, in AC2-102 (the Dance Room).

Thank you,

Kira Tippins
Vice President of Student Services